Property Description
Bobwhite Hills is a longleaf pine savannah in Sumter and Lee Counties in the heart of the National Bobwhite Quail Initiative’s Central Region high-priority area. Rare plants and animals associated with this unique sandhill ecological community benefit from its protection in perpetuity as a Wildlife Management Area under the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR). Taxa experts have determined that due to proximity to known populations and the habitat present, 43 Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) outlined in the South Carolina State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP) should be present. The longleaf savannah habitat is also listed in the SWAP as a priority habitat type. The property abuts a leased WMA and is in the focus area of the Longleaf Initiative, and National Bobwhite Conservation Initiative, between two Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Areas (sandhills). Archeological and historical artifacts are likely due to the presence of similar items on adjacent tracts. The acquisition of Bobwhite Hills will add to a growing network of conservation lands in the region and hopefully become a new major hub in the South Atlantic Landscape Conservation Cooperative Blueprint.